World News – CA – How ‘The Stand’ portrays a fake pandemic in the midst of a real one

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Whoopi Goldberg knows exactly what viewers will be looking for, at least those brave enough to see « The Stand, » the upcoming thriller from CBS All Access, set in the midst of a much more dangerous, if thankfully fictional, pandemic begins.

« I think they’re intrigued to find out if we’re wearing masks, » Goldberg, who will appear as mother Abigail on the upcoming series, told TheWrap.

On Thursday, CBS All Access debuts what is perhaps the most ambitious original series in history, a sprawling 9-episode series derived from one of Stephen King’s most influential works. « The Stand » is a 1. 200-page giant focused on the survivors of a deadly plague embroiled in a supernatural war between good and evil.

And if these real parallels are not enough, the production of the series ended on Dec.. March, just a day after the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. « It’s hard to ignore, » said James Marsden, who plays Stu Redmond, one of the survivors.

“Certainly it influenced the experience of doing it. But it really didn’t affect our storytelling, ”argued showrunner Benjamin Cavill. At the beginning of the post-production process, according to Cavil, there was a suggestion that COVID-19 (the virus in « The Stand » is known as Captain Trips) be given a reference or mention. . “I firmly believed it was going to be a big mistake. ”

Cavill describes the series as a « Walking Dead » compared to « Contagion » or the 1995 film « Outbreak », the latter two focusing solely on the outbreak and spread of disease. « We wouldn’t do the kind of slow, or in this case fairly rapid, spread of a deadly pandemic better than ‘contagion’, » Cavill said.

As in « The Walking Dead, » the outbreak of the disease is the triggering event that drives the narrative, rather than the main narrative itself. « The Stand » is arguably one of King’s most famous and influential works. First released in 1979, it features the first appearance of Randall Flagg aka The Dark Man (played by Alexander Skarsgaard on the series) who is one of the king’s most notable villains. Flagg is also the main antagonist in King’s « Dark Tower » trilogy, which was cast into a 2017 film in which he was played by Matthew McConaughey.

« The Stand » has a massive cast that is one of the largest of any CBS All Access series. In addition to Goldberg, Skarsgaard and Marsden, Greg Kinnear, Amber Heard, Katherine McNamara, Henry Zaga, Odessa Young, Owen Teague, Brad William Henke, Ezra Miller, Heather Graham, Jovan Adepo and Nat Wolff star. The narrative divides the cast into two warring factions: those on Mother Abigail’s side and those under the dark spell of Flagg.

Kinnear says anyone who fears the series will feel a little too real in the face of the ongoing pandemic should be aware that it is nowhere near as bad as King’s fictional illness. After all, the Captain Trips virus wipes out 99% of the world’s population within a few weeks. Despite the dire number of cases and the rising death toll from COVID-19, the first vaccinations were given in the US. S.. . and you. K. . are underway, and more vaccines appear to be ready for approval in the coming weeks.

« King is writing about the atomic bomb version of a pandemic, » said Kinnear. « If you want to be comfortable with the pandemic we are in, check out » The Stand. « It should require someone reading who is not sure where they are. « . Because he obviously got an 11. ”

« The Stand » has already been adapted once with a four-part miniseries from 1994. A new version had been in development as a movie since 2014 before being turned into a TV miniseries on CBS All Access in 2018.

CBS All Access, which will be renamed Paramount early next year, is trying to distinguish itself in the ever-expanding streaming landscape that seems to be dominated by Netflix and Disney for the foreseeable future. So far, CBS All Access had largely gained a foothold by relying on its largest franchise company « Star Trek », which in addition to the animated « Lower Decks » also includes « Discovery » and « Picard », « Strange New Worlds » and the others « Section 31 » series under development.

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